Honolulu, HI – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda led a group of Biden Administration officials to visit the island of Molokai to meet with residents of Kalaupapa, tour health care facilities, and review airport infrastructure projects.
Rep. Tokuda’s Molokai visit included the following Biden Administration officials:
- Krystal Ka‘ai, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
- Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American, and Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, The White House
- Nani Coloretti, Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, The White House
- Summer Sylva, Senior Advisor for Native Hawaiian Affairs, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Interior
- Marvin Figueroa, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Jamila Thompson, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Trade Representative, The White House
“I am grateful that the Biden Administration was able to join me on Molokai, one of the most rural and remote islands in Hawai'i with a substantial Native Hawaiian population. For those living on Molokai, it can be difficult to get basic goods and access essential services such as healthcare – things that are easily taken for granted in other communities. This is about equity for our rural and underserved Native Hawaiian communities. Having our friends from the White House see and understand the unique challenges facing the people of Molokai will help us as we advocate at the highest levels of the federal government for support. I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to provide strategic, meaningful federal assistance to Molokai in the future,” said Rep. Jill Tokuda.
“I was especially humbled and honored to spend time with the patients and staff on Kalaupapa, and to get a tour of the national historic park. There was a definite sense of urgency felt by all of us to continue to support those living and working in Kalaupapa, and to preserve the history and legacy of the people and community.”
In Kalaupapa, Rep. Tokuda and Biden Administration officials met with Hansen’s disease patients and staff at Kalaupapa Care Home. The group also visited the St. Philomena Catholic Church and the area identified for the future Kalaupapa Memorial Site, along with officials from the National Park Service, and Hawaiʻi Department of Health, which administers Kalaupapa Settlement. The group discussed the long-term plans for Kalaupapa, including efforts to create a memorial that honors the residents and their legacies, and met with Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa – the nonprofit organization authorized by the Secretary of the Interior to establish a memorial.
At Molokai Airport, Tokuda and officials reviewed the progress of U.S. Department of Transportation-funded airport modernization and safety projects, including an $11 million award to strengthen runways, taxiways, and apron pavement, and a total of $2.4 million in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to address aging airport infrastructure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Tokuda and officials met with staff at the Molokai Community Health Center, which is the only federally qualified health center on Molokai that offers medical, dental, behavioral health care, and social services to residents, regardless of the ability to pay. The group discussed the growing need for primary and specialty care among Molokai residents and the facility’s ongoing efforts to provide and expand access to comprehensive health services. Last year, Congress allocated $1.6 million in Community Project Funding to support the expansion of the dental clinic and services at Molokai Community Health Center, to meet the substantial demand for oral hygiene and dental care.
To end the day, Tokuda and officials visited Nā Pu‘uwai, the Native Hawaiian Health Care System, where the group met with staff to learn more about their innovative and culturally-informed approaches to improving health outcomes among Native Hawaiians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nā Pu‘uwai received federal funding through the American Rescue Plan to sustain operations and access to critical health services. In June 2023, Nā Pu‘uwai was also awarded $2.5 million as part of annual federal funding awarded through the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program.
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